Joy Oladokun reckons with both religion and sexuality in her new single ‘Sunday’, a powerful percussive-heavy ballad about the struggles of accepting oneself.

This Nigerian-American singer-songwriter originally from Los Angeles, California calls upon her roots of gospel and soul in crafting a deeply personal yet empowering anthem. 

Speaking on the meanings encoded into the song and the subsequent music video, Oladokun revealed to PRIDE, “The biggest privilege of being a songwriter is being able to write the type of song that I needed to hear when I was younger. ‘Sunday’ is the song that 12-year-old Joy, seated in the back of church youth group, needed to hear. She needed to hear that you can be queer and happy. Queer and healthy. Queer and holy. She needed to see married women kissing and playing with their kids”

And sure enough, this song is filled to the brim with catchy vocal riffs, hearty drum instrumentation and most significantly, lyrical messages of resilience, hope and spirituality, as conveyed by Oladokun’s deep, low and tremendously passionate voice. The production of the track is layered, marked by sharp, striking piano chords as well as a vocal refrain that grounds the central tempo of the song. 

The words invoke the action of pleading to a higher power, something that is quite obviously drawn from Oladokun’s own experiences as she came to terms with her sexuality while at the same time maintaining her beliefs in her religion. While it may seem like a controversial topic, Oladoukun’s lyrics are veiled, mysterious and ultimately symbolic. She speaks in code, pleading to her God to give her, and her friends, a helping hand when they need that power of faith. 

However, the accompanying music video is anything but veiled: it is outward and honest about its depiction of queer sexuality, of same-sex relationships and the feeling of freedom, as expressed by the everlasting waves, the carefree dancing and Oladokun’s own figure---wandering but content. It is yet another demonstration of Oladokun’s talent, which is set to move any listeners to their core. And if she continues on the path she is on currently, it would not be the least bit shocking to see her find her own place in the pop and gospel hall of fame. 

 Singer-songwriter